An odd issue with the Rollie Smurf

[oicu812]

A while back, I bought a Smurf Sub-C from IndyWatchGuy.  It has an Eta 2836, and ran from spot on, to +3 seconds a day, a very nice piece.

 

I started noticing lately that it was slowing down, and had started being 10-15 seconds slow.  Hmmm.

 

After a lot of head scratching, and figuring that it will need an expensive service, I started to think about other possible causes.  After digging around in my watch toolbox, I found an old compass, the kind that they used to include as prizes in Cracker Jack boxes.  I thought "Why not, might as well check for that" I waved the watch over it.  And the compass spun like a top.  Interesting.

 

So I went on Ebay and found a brand new Chinese demagnetizer for $10.  Holding the watch on it, I hit the power button for 10 seconds, lifting the watch straight up in the air away from it in the last two.

 

I did the compass check, and the needle didn't wiggle a bit.  And she has run +2 seconds over the last 24 hours, sitting dial up.

 

It's really nice when a cheap fix works!

 

O

[Mike on a bike]

:clap2:

[kernow]

Well done. Apparently, quite a few watches become affected in this way.

[SSTEEL]

First point of call in watchmaking when assessing a movement, demagnetise  Well done